PETA UK Vegan Fashion Awards Winners

By Chere Di Boscio

Increasingly large numbers of people around the world are waking up to the fact that it’s not necessary – or ethical – to kill animals for fashion, and to celebrate, PETA recently held its third annual Vegan Fashion Awards.

The winners of the awards this year come from some of fashion’s most prominent names, including Calvin Klein Jeans (Most Stylish Men’s Knitwear), Simone Rocha (Most Stylish Evening Bag) and Dr Martens (Most Stylish Men’s Boots).

“These are exciting times as compassionate consumers change the face of fashion. Animal-free fashion is the future”, says PETA’s Yvonne Taylor. “Forward-thinking designers are experimenting with innovative, high-tech materials that are vegan and, therefore, more eco-friendly and offering ethical consumers a vast array of cruelty-free choices – from high-street to high-end.”

Other gongs went to Freedom of Animals, Zara, Esprit, H&M, Bourgeois Boheme and Ananas Anam – the company behind Piñatex, a new innovative pineapple based fabric used in place of everything from silk to leather that’s wowing top designers, including couture designer Ezra Santos, who we have featured in Eluxe many times.

Former Fashion Director at Cosmopolitan magazine, Shelly Vella received the Influencer Award for her work leading many anti-fur campaigns and for implementing bans on pelts and exotic skins in photo shoots.

We were quite impressed with some of the choices PETA made for its award this year; our top picks of the Vegan Fashion Awards Winners are below.

After seeing the horrific video of how Hermes literally blows air between the skin and muscle of (sometimes still living) crocodiles to get their skin, Jane Birkin demanded the French luxury brand rename bag created in her honour. Ms Westwood proves such torture isn’t necessary to produce a stylish handbag! Get it here.

Playful, warm and cruelty-free, what’s not to love about Shrimps stylish faux fur coats? They’re fake and they’re proud, and they kind of make you feel like a walking, talking soft toy. Get yours here.

Even if you don’t like snakes much, surely you’ll agree they’re better left alone in nature than killed and skinned for fashion, right? Stella shows you can get the same intricate textures of a reptile’s complex skin without having to hurt it. This wallet is a super-classic that you’ll surely use for years and years to come. Get one here.